Jeff Demps

Classroom

While competing in a varsity sport (football, indoor and outdoor track) during all six of his semesters at Florida, Demps has maintained a 3.05 GPA and is on pace to graduate in the spring of 2012 with a Sociology degree.

Character

Demps has twice been honored as a nominee for the AFCA Good Works Team (2010 and 2011) thanks to the time and effort he puts in giving back to the Gainesville community. A six-time NCAA Champion sprinter, Demps recently passed on a chance to compete with USA Track and Field at the IAAF Outdoor World Championships in the fall to return to the Gator football team for his senior season. Viewed as a leader in both the football and track locker rooms, Demps chooses to lead by example, putting in countless hours with the strength and conditioning staff and his coaches throughout the season and offseason to make sure that he can compete for both of his teams at an elite level. Through his hard work put in with both sports, Demps has earned the respect and admiration of his teammates and coaching staffs.

Community

Having to balance a busy class load and the rigors of competing at the highest level of two collegiate sports leaves Demps with very little free time, but he continues to make his community a priority. During his time in Gainesville, Demps has been involved in numerous charitable initiatives including “Swamp Field Trips” and BLAQUE (Bold Leaders, Achieving Quality, Unity and Excellence) football program field day. For “Swamp Field Trips”, Demps and fellow teammates reward young children for good school work by giving them a tour of the Gator Football facilities and stadium. With the BLAQUE football program field day, Demps and the Gators help with a field day for at-risk males. Working with a community leader for the African-American Accountability Alliance of Alachua County Task Force, Demps and his teammates are each grouped with 15 area middle-school children and work to promote and reinforce positive values through athletics and academics. Demps has also spent numerous hours with the “Goodwill Gators” program visiting patients at the Shands Hospital and serving as a mentor to students at Lincoln Middle School in Gainesville. Additionally, Demps took part in an “anti-bullying” campaign for schools in South Florida (his hometown area), reading a PSA that was filmed regarding the topic.

Competition

Demps, who was named to the preseason All-SEC second team by the conference coaches, is coming off an impressive 2010 campaign where he led the Gators in several statistical categories including rushing yards (551), carries (92) and all-purpose yards (927). Additionally, he was one of only nine players in the country in 2010 with a rush of more than 70 yards and a kick return of over 50 yards. In his career, Demps, a 2009 and 2011 Doak Walker Award nominee, has amassed 1,901 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 269 carries. Demps also has 309 yards receiving on 41 receptions and one receiving touchdown. In March 2010, Demps became the first student-athlete in University of Florida history to be part of a national championship in two different sports. Demps won the BCS National Championship in 2008 with the football team and the NCAA Championship in 2010 as a member of the indoor track team. Additionally, Demps was a key component of the track squad’s second-consecutive indoor title in 2011 when he defended his National Championship in the 60-meter dash with a school-record time of 6.53 seconds.